My daughter, The Pea, is a 6th grader this year, and her entry into Middle School has introduced our family to a whole new world: new school, new schedule, new friends... and new ways to spend money. Library fees. Field trip fees. Student assembly fees. PE Uniforms. Band Uniforms. Locker supplies. The list goes on!

For American Express cardmembers with kids going Back to School, using Membership Rewards Points can be a real time and money saver -- they can get their kids' must-haves without digging for coupons or codes. Every time they use their American Express cards, they earn Membership Rewards points that can be redeemed for all kinds of merchandise in the Membership Rewards catalog -- even for as low as 2,500 points for a $25 gift card! Super easy, and NO advanced algebra necessary :)

American Express asked me to curate a "Back to School" look from their Membership Rewards Catalog using 50,000 points, and I was happy to comply -- but I realize that Back to School means different things for different ages and stages. So I decided to create a variety of Back to School looks! You can see my looks for grade schoolers on this post, and some of my other finds on my Back to School Pinterest board (tagged with #AmexB2S) -- and today, to celebrate The Pea's entry into middle school, I've put together a set of Back to School must-haves for Middle Schoolers:

THREADS: 10,000 POINTS
The days when I could buy school clothes for my daughter have long since passed, and now that she's in middle school, all I can do is exercise my veto power on inappropriate or overly expensive outfits. So I won't even attempt to curate a middle school "look" for her -- I'll just hand her that $100 Gap gift card (10,000 membership rewards points) and remind her of her school's dress code.

TOTES: 10,000 points
Honestly, does my daughter's school think she and her classmates are pack mules? That's the only explanation I can come up with for the sheer weight of the school books she hoists on her back. Thank goodness for bike saddlebags -- and for sturdy (and cool looking) backpacks like this one.

GOOD READS: 18,700 POINTS
Even if she didn't have so many textbooks, my daugher would probably load her backpack with books anyway, because she loves to read. She can go through several books a week (sometimes several in a DAY), so an e-reader like the Kindle would be the ideal solution. It can store even more books than she can read, so she can get through her 6th-grade reading list without turning her room into a book warehouse.

THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE: 9,000 POINTS
Like most tweens, The Pea has started listening to music every day, all day. Now, the last thing I want to be is a stuffy old parent -- and I actually like a good number of "her" songs anyway -- but sometimes all I want are the sounds of silence, especially when I'm working or watching tv. A good pair of earphones is all I need to spare myself from having to yell those age-old words passed down from parent to child: TURN THAT CRAP DOWN!

Need more points to complete your Back to School look? Join my American Express Back to School Giveaway and you could win a $250 American Express gift card! Of course, only one person is going to win, so if you want a surefire way to get extra Membership Rewards points, check out the American Express Member Get Member program. Recommend a friend, and you can earn a bonus reward (5,000 points!) for each approved Card member. Each friend will receive an e-mail with a special offer for the Card. There is no limit to how many friends you can refer so start now.

Win a $50 American Express gift card!Which friends do you think would love an American Express card and Membership Rewards points? Share your answer and you could win a $50 American Express gift card!

Required EntryLeave a comment on this page telling me who you would refer to the Membership Rewards program. This entry must be completed before other entries apply.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).1) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

7) Share this giveaway (here's the link: http://bit.ly/OSbvDL ) on your Facebook page (1 entry -- note, if this entry happens to be the winning entry, I will ask the winner to provide a screenshot of their FB page as proof that they shared)

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):RT @bonggafinds Enter to win a $50 @americanexpress gift card! Enter by 9/30 at http://bit.ly/OSbvDL #AmexB2S

The RulesThis giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on September 30, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on October 1 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance. Membership Rewards members may opt to receive their prize in points (5,000 points instead of a $50 gift card). Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: This is a compensated post. Thanks to American Express for providing the prize for this giveaway. I curated the "Back to School" looks on this post, and on my Pinterest page, using options taken from the American Express Membership Rewards Catalog, but the choices were solely my own. The views and opinions expressed here are my own. Click here for full disclosure.Tweet this!

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